May I Have This Dance? An Invitation to Five Films About Transformation
Class | Registration opens 3/4/2026 12:00 PM EST
The great dancer and choreographer Martha Graham said, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” Albert Einstein said, “Dancers are the athletes of God.” Through movement and deep feelings that connect people on a profound level, dance changes lives.
In this course, we will watch five special movies in which the characters’ complex lives are transformed by dance. From China to Northeast England, from Pittsburgh to Japan to the Catskill Mountains, we will meet Li Cunxin, Billy Elliot, Alex Owens, Shohei Sugiyama and Frances “Baby” Houseman, experience stunning performances, delight in a variety of dance styles — ballet, ballroom, freestyle, hip hop, breakdancing — and then talk about how dance is a language that speaks to the soul.
I invite you to join me as we watch these movies in their entirety:
- Shall We Dance?, 1996, directed by Masayuki Suo
- Billy Elliot, 2000, directed by Stephen Daldry
- Flashdance, 1983, directed by Adrian Lyne
- Mao’s Last Dancer, 2004, directed by Bruce Beresford
- Dirty Dancing, 1989, directed by Emilio Ardolino
Beverly Marshall
Prior to moving to the Northeast, Beverly held senior administrative roles at WNET/ Channel 13 and The Cooper Union. Before her retirement, Beverly was associate director at the Upper Valley Educator's Institute in Lebanon, NH. At AIL, she has taught a wide range of courses, including From Cinderella to Easy Rider, Is That My Face in the Mirror?, No Shrinking Violets and Once is Not Enough. She has previously contributed to Women Who Made a Difference and the Four by Four film collaborations.